Industry expert highlights public Wi-fi risks

May 02, 2012

Those in the market to compare phone plans to get a better deal on their home line may like to consider the benefits of a bundle which includes internet access.

Apart from the advantages associated with increased communicative capability at home, an industry specialist has highlighted the dangers of using public Wi-fi spots instead of a fixed-line network in the safety of your own house.

Industry specialist Unisys has urged internet users to be aware of the issues surrounding access to private information that using devices on public networks can create.

John Kendall, security program director of Unisys Asia Pacific, said that while young people in particular are embracing new communicative technologies like laptops, smartphones and tablets, they may not be aware of the increased risk to privacy that goes hand-in-hand with using those devices on public Wi-fi networks.

He added that work-related public Wi-fi use is on the rise and data privacy is becoming more of an issue.

To reduce the risk of privacy breaches, Mr Kendall suggested users lock access to their devices with a hard-to-guess password that is changed regularly and be aware of who can read your screen when you are sitting near other people.